


For the Longest Time

by Cyane (orphan_account)



Category: DCU, Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, I overuse italics sorry, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Multiple Personalities, Psychopaths In Love, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-11 11:16:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11147307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Cyane
Summary: While in the Court's confines, Edward and Oswald struggle to escape. While Edward's plans result in getting himself beaten, Oswald realizes that no matter how much he wants Ed dead, he can't stop loving him.





	For the Longest Time

**Author's Note:**

> That finale. Os and Ed are literally obsessed with each other- even if it does sometimes mean obsessed with killing each other- and I'm so happy that this GAY ship is canon. Well... unrequited, but canon. So unusual for a TV show to actually add LGBT+ characters and the representation is incredible.
> 
> Even if they _are_ all bloody insane psychopathic murderers.

"It's not going to work," Oswald muttered sourly. 

From the other bird cage, Edward scoffed, still fiddling with the lock. "I'm sure you would know, Oswald, seeing as you haven't even _tried_ getting out."

Oswald swung around. "I'm exactly where I want to be!" He retorted venomously. Edward just shook his head in frustration. The lock didn't budge. He shot Penguin a look. "Right. Because your first priority after coming back from the dead would be to get yourself captured by a secret organization running the whole of Gotham?" 

"That's not-"

"I cannot be bought, cannot be sold, even if I’m sometimes made of gold. You need me more than anything else but I am your greatest weakness. What am I?" Ed hissed.

Oswald let his lips curl in disgust. "Oh, the terrible _Riddler_ , rambling on about some nonsense riddles. That name is pathetic, you know that?"

"Your _heart_ ," Edward snarled back in response before turning towards the lock.

They had been left in the bird cages for nearly a day, and they were both growing more and more paranoid the more time passed. Oswald mashed the plate of stale food they had given him angrily, sitting cross-legged in the middle of his cage with his back turned to Nygma. 

_His heart._ The hardest part to swallow was the truth in the statement. Oswald had thrown his heart on a line, put his entire being out in the name of love, and he had found that love was worth nothing when it was unrequited. It just hurt. 

He would never let his heart before his head again.

Behind him, Ed was mumbling to himself. "Yes- right... dammit, no- yes- yes- _yes_ -"

Right as the click unlocked the cage and Edward sprawled out, the door slammed open and in came two guards, looking none too happy to see one of their prisoners out and about. Ed looked up at them, scrambled to his feet; but it was too late.

"Ooh-hoo-hoo!" Oswald cheered from his own cage, grinning. The guards ignored him.

One guard grabbed Ed by both wrists and slammed them into the wall, above his head. His other beefy hand snarled itself into Edward's hair and shoved it into the cement as well. Ed let out a moan of pain. There was a slight ringing going on in his head at the brute force.

The other guard took advantage of Edward's position and started throwing heavy blows. In a matter of seconds, Ed's nose had begun bleeding profusely and blood was spluttering out of his mouth. The glasses fell to the floor with a clack. 

"Imbeciles-" Ed ground out between hits.

Oswald forced his smile to widen. He was happy about this- he was, he _was_ \- he hated Edward, he loathed Edward Nygma... the man meant nothing to him. Oswald couldn't care less if he died, and his only regret would be that he didn't get to do it himself.

_"But you were never really planning to kill him, were you?"_ That traitorous voice in the back of his head whispered. 

Oswald's smile twisted into a scowl.

_"You were just going to freeze him,"_ The voice reminded him.

And dammit, Oswald wished he could feel happy while Edward was beaten into a pulp. But no matter how much he wanted Edward out of his life- no matter how much he wanted this _weakness_ out of his life... he couldn't kill Ed, and he didn't want to see him like this.

The guards tossed Edward back into the cage and slammed the door, taking away the pin Ed had been using to pick the lock and placing another lock onto the bars.

"Don't get any funny fuckin' ideas," The taller guard said, spitting on the floor before leaving. The other guard followed shortly.

"Well, that was eventful," Oswald said pleasantly, turning to look at his-

Oh, no-

Edward was still crumpled into a ball, shaking his head furiously. His eyes were screwed shut, and even so, his glasses were still bent up on the other side of the bars. Blood matted across his face, nose, and mouth, and Oswald couldn't even see the bruises that were probably forming on his chest.

"Don't you dare have a punctured lung!" Oswald practically shrieked. "I will not deal with the _disgusting_ smell of your corpse!"

"Shut up," Edward mumbled.

There were two thoughts that flew into Oswald's head in that moment. First: Edward definitely had a concussion, going by the slur in his voice, the quiet tone, the way his head had thudded against the wall, and that was bad. If Oswald didn't want him dead, he couldn't let him fall asleep.

Secondly: _nobody_ told _Oswald Cobblepot_ to be quiet.

But just as Oswald took a deep, fuming breath to tell Edward Nygma exactly what he thought about being bossed around-

"Shut up, shut up- shut up-"

"I didn't even say anything that time," Oswald snapped childishly.

"I wasn't _talking to you_ ," Edward lurched forward and turned to snarl at Oswald. His eyes were huge, pupils like pinpricks, wide and unfocused. Oswald's face tightened.

"Then who were you talking to, pray tell?"

Ed's hands crawled up to his head, clutching at his brain like it was going to explode.

"Leave me alone, go away- shut up, stop..."

Oswald deflated slightly in confusion.

"Ed...?"

"Make him stop," Edward said through clenched teeth. Before Oswald could irately ask the same question, Edward's eyes cleared and a sudden calm came over him. His entire face softened, and it wasn't the cold mask of _The Riddler_ \- it was undeniably emotional and _Ed_.

"I never wanted to kill you," Edward confessed.

Oswald's eyes blew up. It would've been comical, but Oswald could only hear the rushing in his ears and the onslaught of _what_?

"W-what... what are you talking about?"

And then The Riddler was back, and his eyes were wild and insane, and his jaw clenched and his hands went to his head. This was the man who would murder people without a second look. No love.

"You think I _care_ about you?" Edward spat. "You think that I regret what I did? I would do it again in an _instant_!" He was practically yelling, spitting blood and spit with every punctuated word. 

It was like watching a movie. It was horrifically interesting.

From one moment to the next, Ed was screaming obscenities and crying, from one personality to the next, The Riddler and Edward Nygma, and it was terrifying. 

"I can't let him leave me alone, I never wanted to kill Kristen!" Ed wailed.

"Go away, go away, you murderer, you are what you are- you never changed, you grew into your own skin, _I kept us alive!_ " The Riddler screamed.

Oswald watched for several minutes with a gobsmacked expression, blown away by the change. 

_I never wanted to kill you,_ Edward had said.

Oswald's heart twisted.

"What force and strength cannot get through, I with my unique teeth can do. What am I? I am constantly overlooked by everyone but everyone has me. What am I? I belong to you but others use me more often than you do. What am I?" The riddles came out in gasps, like Ed was clinging on to whatever he had left. Riddles.

"Slow down," Oswald said.

Edward's head snapped in his direction. His eyes were glazed over.

"Say the last one again," Oswald commanded calmly.

Edward paused his jittering for a moment. "...I belong to you but o-others use me more often than you do. What am I?"

Oswald grinned. For once, he knew the answer immediately. "My name," He responded confidently. 

"Name," Edward echoed.

"Yours is Edward Nygma," Oswald reminded him.

"I'm- drugged. What? What is wrong with... Oswald?"

"You have a concussion, Ed. Seriously, don't fall asleep. I can't believe I'm asking you to, but... tell me some more riddles. So you don't go unconscious. Or bring back... whatever Bipolar fit you were in before."

Edward squinted in confusion. "More riddles?"

Oswald rolled his eyes. "For God's sake, don't make me ask again."

"Um... You cannot keep me until you have given me. What am I?"

"I have no idea."

"...word. Your- word."

This went on for some time. Edward's half-delirious words had sparked something in Oswald. Ed hadn't wanted to shoot him on that dock. Okay- so he _had_ , but... there was someone else behind the Riddler, no matter how much Edward denied it. Ed was still there, in that ridiculous green suit, somewhere. 

And he didn't want Oswald dead. He hadn't meant to kill his old girlfriend... and Oswald had only killed Isabella because she was a threat to Oswald's own intentions with Edward...

Somewhere along the way, Edward changed into the Riddler. Oswald didn't mind, as long as he didn't have to call Ed the stupid name- he just didn't want Edward to kill him, he didn't want to kill Edward- if they could just go back to how they were before-

The following day, Oswald woke up. 

Edward was gently shaking the bars of his cage.

"Hey!" He scowled immediately, but stopped when he saw Ed's bashed up face, the way he was obviously hiding a migraine. 

"What the hell happened yesterday?" Ed growled.

"Guards beat you up, because you're an idiot. You have a concussion."

Oswald smartly ignored the part where Edward's dual personalities took over and he said things in delirium that he wouldn't have otherwise. Edward smartly didn't ask.

"I have a plan. It involves both of us getting out of here... but first I need your word. And red jell-o."

Oswald and Edward shared a look.

"Working together?" Oswald asked reluctantly.

Edward took a deep, unhappy breath. "I wouldn't do this if I didn't have to."

"Working together?" Oswald pressed.

Edward bit the inside of his cheek. "Working together."

**Author's Note:**

> Riddles from multiple sites.  
> Sorry it's short and lame. Validation is great, feel free to by giving kudos/bookmarking/comments. Good or bad comments, you choose. I can take it.


End file.
